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Rhythm and Meaning in Shakespeare : A Guide for Readers and Actors
About This Book
How did Shakespere intend that his plays be read? Rhythm and Meaning in Shakespeare explores the rhythmical organisation of Shakespeare's verse and how it creates and reinforces meaning both in the theatre and in the mind of the reader. Because metrical form in the pentameter is not passively present in the text but rather something that the performer must co-operatively re-create in speaking it, pentameter is what John Barton calls "stage-direction in shorthandââŹ_x009d_, a supple instrument through which Shakespeare communicates valuable cues for performance. This book is thus an essential guide for actors wishing to perform in his plays, as well as a valuable resource for anyone wishing to enhance their understanding of and engagement with Shakespeare's verse. Has supplementary audio files.
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Table of contents
- Cover
- Title Page
- Imprint Page and Copyright Information
- Dedication
- Acknowledgements
- Contents
- Introduction
- Ch 1: Prosody - The Music of Speech
- Ch 2: Pentameter and its Common Variations
- Ch 3: Pauses, Breaks and Transitions
- Ch 4: The Short Pentameter 1: Silent Offbeats
- Ch 5: The Short Pentameter 2: Silent Beats
- Ch 6: Other Kinds of Verse in the Plays
- Ch 7: Taking it Further: Metrical Analysis
- Appendices
- References
- Back Cover